Week 12: We pulled it off with a HITCH!

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

~Matthew 5:16

Don't shine so that others can see you, shine so that through you, others can see Him.

Hola Familia!

Well guess what!? I finished my first transfer as a missionary here in the CLAM :)  Crazy how fast this transfer went and I heard that it only goes faster from here!  But we had transfer calls last night and I found out that I will be staying in Hermosa Liahona (where I am at now) but my companion is leaving! :(  I am super bummed about that one but I heard that my new companion is so awesome so I will let you know more about that one this next week!!

Kali and Hermana Vincent

We had such an awesome week this week!!  Ignacio and Georgina got married on Monday and it was the cutest, most awkward wedding I have ever been to! haha :)  They were so excited to get married and it was just a really small wedding of the bishop, my comp Sister Vincent and me but it was amazing.  The spirit that was felt in that meeting was so strong.  I knew that Heavenly Father was so proud of the steps that Ignacio and Georgina were making and how blessed they are going to be.  The family is such a huge blessing and is such a huge part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have realized the importance more and more.  I am so grateful for all of my family and the support that you all give me. 

Throughout the week we had some really great lessons and found some really awesome potentials that I will hopefully be talking more about in the future :)  But this week we had some fun experiences with animals...  I was walking one night and ran straight into a spider and it was HUGE! Screamed a little bit but felt better once I stepped on it :)  Another night we went home and there was an opossum sitting in our parking spot!! I had no clue that possums were in California.. I thought I had stepped into Tennessee for a minute :)  And we are constantly having moments where I am scared that a dog is going to bite my leg off but it is totally fine haha :)

The best day ever was Sunday though!  Ignacio and Georgina were finally baptized.  I just love that family so much and their two little twins, Michelle and Dylan.  It was such a spiritual service and after the baptism we asked Georgina how she felt and she just had the biggest smile on her face and said she was so happy.  I love the opportunity that I get to share this gospel with others and to bring them joy!  I am so glad that I get to stay in Hermosa Liahona for at least one more transfer so that I can be with this family a little bit longer!

Baptism day for Georgina and Ignacio!

Well have an awesome week and thank you for all of the prayers!!

Hoorah for Israel :)

Love,

Hermana McMinn

Week 11: Faith in the Lord

Be peaceful. Believe in God and in yourself. You are doing better than you think!

~Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Zone Conference

Another great week here in Gardena/Lawndale California! Much has happened and nothing as planned but that is what I have learned happens as missionaries! Make plans but know that they are going to change!

Well, Ignacio and Georgina had their baptismal interviews this last Wednesday, and at first they didn’t show up..we waited for an hour and they didn't come!  WE were so worried, but they are so solid and so I knew that it had to be for a good reason.  So we went to their house and Georgina looked really sad and Ignacio was sleeping.  She was like "hermana...look...I went through and did our bills and all of our finances...and we don't have enough money free at the end of the month to pay our full tithing." Then she proceeded and showed me and explained all of her calculations and bills and was like "look hermana...this is all we have free at the end of the month and its not the full tithing..so you see we couldn't come to the interview because we can't be baptized and promise God that we are going to pay tithing and then not pay the full amount...that would be mocking God....and if I put this money in an envelope each month and give to the bishop and tell him that it is my tithing, he may not know that it is not the full ten percent, but God would know!"

They are so faithful, and they really want to follow God and his commandments, and they will be such faithful members!

And so then, we had a lesson about Faith and we promised them blessings and discussed that if we put our faith in the lord and keep the lord's commandments, then we will always receive the blessings and the Lord will watch out for us.  We also promised them that if they paid their tithing first that they would always have enough for their needs. Then we told them that the elders were going to be at the church again at 7, and that they could give them an interview since they missed their earlier appointment, and then I asked her how she felt and Georgina was like "bien hermana. seguimos en pie. tengo fe" which basically translates (good sister.  we are still on. I have faith)  It was SO POWERFUL AND THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG!!!!! And then they went and passed their baptismal interviews! They are such amazing examples to me.  After that lesson, I was like, man...I NEED TO HAVE MORE FAITH!!!! Faith is like a muscle.  we constantly have to be exercising it so that it can be stronger or else we will lose the muscle!

AND THEN...they were supposed to get married on Friday.  So Ignacio left work early on Friday and they went to the courthouse, and they were able to get everything done, and were in the system, but when it came to actually getting the license in paper form...they were too late. :( and the man at the counter was like "oh you barely missed it by a few minutes" so the bishop tried to pull some strings, and THE MAN AT THE COUNTER WOULD NOT BUDGE! (meanwhile we and about 15 other people are waiting at the church to see their wedding) and then the man at the counter was like...."you can go to the norwalk courthouse.." so they hurried and drove to the norwalk courthouse, and right when they got there, everyone was walking out because it had just closed. (darn you satan!)

They are getting married right after I finish emailing today and we are sooo excited for that too! And the plan is that they are going to get baptized this next Sunday! They are so ready and can already see the blessings of this gospel in their life.

If we earnestly appeal to God, he takes us as we are and makes us more than we ever imagined.

~Sister Neill F. Marriott

Sorry for the short email but these computers are not the best. I had a better email written and then it deleted it all so there is that! haha :)I will work on writing a better email next week I promise!

I hope you all have a great week and don't forget to pray :)

Love, Hermana McMinn

Week 10: Roller Coaster of Emotions

I am a child of God, therefore what?

Because you are HIS child you not only need Him, but He needs you!

~ Sister Rosemary Wixom

Another great week in Gardena, California that has very bi polar weather but it is fine! Last Sunday I was freezing and needed a cardigan (it was only 72 degrees.  I am already turning into a baby.. winters in Pocatello are not looking great!) and then towards the end of the week it was 100 degrees every single day.  I am constantly sweating and I have some pretty sweet tan lines so that is tons of fun!!  And this week I got to see the ocean!  I was a few miles away but still seeing the ocean calmed be down a ton after a crazy day!

So.. I don't know if I have said this before or not but missions are an emotional rollercoaster.  And this  week has been a really crazy ride.  The week started really low but then ended up with a really huge high!!  So to begin.. the beginning of this week Spanish was really frustrating me.  I can't talk as well as I would like to and I was losing my patience.  We also found out that Georgina, one of our amazing investigators, has a coffee problem so she can't be baptized at the end of this week.  The stress here is real.  We figured everything out with marriage for them but they are struggling with wanting to be married.  We tried so hard explain to them the importance but they just weren't understanding.  

We decided to give them a few days and challenged her to not drink coffee then we would come back and visit them and have a little talk.  We prayed a TON for them and just went about talking to other amazing people and having some awesome conversations.  We had the feeling that we needed to talk to them about repentence and forgiveness and it was an amazing lesson.  Turns out that they had some things that they needed to take care of and needed to forgive each other of and so we left it at that again and gave them some space.  Then the bishop went and talked to them. They asked when they could go and get their marriage license and go get married!!!! We are having a wedding this week people!! I am soo excited for them! They are soo ready to be baptized and to make changes in their lives.  They love this gospel so much.  We really are not doing anything to motivate them. They are making changes all on their own.  They have such a strong testimony. We are here finding the elect and God is preparing His people!!  And even better... Georgina has not drank coffee for 5 days! She is doing so awesome!  There baptism is still going to be pushed until next week but we feel that is the best thing for them anyway!  

I love this gospel so much and I love the opportunity I have to share it with others.  One of my favorite scriptures that I found is in Alma 26 verses 29-30. 

 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

This week we had a ton of doors slammed in our faces but then we have moments like this with Ignacio and Georgina that makes a mission so worth it!

I love you all so much and loved getting letters this week! I hope you all have a great week!

Love, Hermana McMinn

And I think she misses her family:

Taryn is such a nut.  The more I am away from her the more I want to be around her. hahahah

If you have a minute and would like to send her a note I am sure that it would brighten her day! We are so proud of her. 

Week 9: Come Listen to the Prophet's Voice

Hey family and friends!!

What an awesome opportunity we had to listen to the voice of the prophet of God and His apostles this weekend!!  We are so lucky to get to hear to words of Christ.  This General Conference was sooo good!!  I loved President Monson's talk about being an example.  That really is the best way that we can all be missionaries is by doing what is right at all times not just because people are watching but because it is what we should be doing.  But the thing is... people will see you doing what is right and they will see a  special light about you and want to know what is different.  We have the light of Christ in us when we are doing what we are supposed to!  I can't wait to read the talks again in the Ensign.  All of the talks were amazing and the 3 new apostles are going to be so awesome!  I could feel the Spirit so strong when they were called and while they were talking.  It is so cool to know that they are called of God!

As we make Christ the center of our lives, our fears will be replaced by the courage of our convictions.

~President Thomas S. Monson

So Ignacio and Georgina are getting married!! We just need to pick a date and it is a done deal.  I am so excited for them because once that happens the next step will be baptism.  They are so awesome and are so willing to do exactly what they need to do to follow Christ more.  They are such awesome examples!  They are basically my family here.

I don't have much time today but I just am so glad that I get to be here serving a mission and being an instrument for my Savior.  I love talking to people everyday and brightening their day... even when they aren't very nice to us! haha :)  I love it here in Cali!!

Have an awesome week and don't forget to pray and read your scriptures! haha :)

Love,

Hermana McMinn